


The End of an Empire

by TauBetaTuba19



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28864704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TauBetaTuba19/pseuds/TauBetaTuba19
Summary: October, 1918Austria-Hungary is in disarray as the Italians close in and the riots and desertions reach a feverish pitch.Austria stands trying to hold it all together, but can he do it? What will happen as he watches everything he once led crumble to pieces. And will he ever be able to look Hungary or the others in the eyes again.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. The truth will set you Free

Austria stared down at the document in front of him. It almost seemed unreal. 

Riots had broken out in cities across the empire, from Innsbruck to Budapest,people stormed rationing centers and armories, soldiers on the front were rebelling, tearing down the Austro-Hungarian flag, and beating anyone loyal to the empire. Many were surrendering to the Italians or just deserting. His entire navy had mutinied and refused to sail. He felt his blood boil, fury in him at how these people weren’t Austrian! They didn’t stand and take it like men! He would have to punish them severely once this war was won.

Beside him, Slovenia stood as a servant in waiting. His dressed down Austro-Hungarian uniform was immaculately cleaned and meticulously well-maintained He loyally stood off to his left, where she used to stand...  
Hungary hadn’t spoken to him in weeks since the disaster of a luncheon he’d tried to hold with his substate nations. He knew things weren’t perfect...they’d never been perfect. But he at least felt comforted inside that she was there too. But after what he did that day...and the scars he left behind, nobody had seemed to want to talk to him. He hadn’t meant to do what he did, it was wartime stress and emotions. They had to understand he didn’t mean to hurt her, but none of them seemed willing to forgive him. Even Slovenia seemed somewhat cold towards him.  
———-  
“I hope you all can appreciate the extent I went to in order to make this happen.” Austria said as he sat at the table. Beside him, Hungary seemed...happy, or at least content with everything.  
The nations were seated around the patio table of Austria’s Vienna home. It was peaceful, and nothing like the trenches Croatia and Slovakia were used to, nor the greasy engineering rooms of Austro-Hungarian battleships Slovenia had spent a lot of time in. Banat and Czechia were happily chatting away as Liechtenstein went around the table with a tea pot. It was the most family-like thing they’d done in years. It almost felt...normal.  
On the table was a collection of food, sandwiches and other delicacies that Austria had worked hard to acquire through his connections. There was even some chocolate, no doubt acquired from Switzerland. To the nations that had been in combat, it was almost like a slice of heaven. As Liechtenstein filled Austria’s cup, there was a distant booming of heavy guns. These were being tested at a factory in Vienna. But Liechtenstein jumped at the noise, and the teapot slipped, causing tea to land on Austria’s lap and his white uniform.

Austria was up in a moment, towering over the alpine nation. It all came at once, the stress of the war, the constant pain he felt from political struggles tearing him apart. It all washed over him like a torrent of water as the dam inside his head collapsed.  
“You clumsy oaf!” Austria shouted as he slapped her harshly across the face. The teapot fell from her hands with the shatter of porcelain. Liechtenstein fell onto the ground in shock, her eyes already filling with tears.  
Austria was almost ready to strike again for the broken teapot when a rough hand grabbed his. Croatia was in his face in an instant, his normally calm expression contorted into anger. Slovakia joined the Balkan nation as he tore into Austria. Slovenia seemed just as angry, but he stood back closer to Liechtenstein. His body suggested he would stop Austria if he came closer, but his face showed confusion. Banat and Czechia were surrounding their cousin in a protective embrace, Banat cradled the sobbing alpine nation against her. 

Hungary tried to input some argument against how the younger nations were acting, but she stopped. Her face glowered with frustration, and finally, she stood up and brusquely walked away. The other nations left just as quickly, leaving Austria standing alone with uneaten food and a shattered teapot.  
______  
Austria shook the thought out of his head as he stared at the documents, a list of prisoners taken by the remaining loyal soldiers. Serbians, Romanians, Slovakians, even Austrians...

A hacking cough escaped Austria’s throat, and he stared in muted thought at the specks of blood on the handkerchief he’d coughed into. 

The door behind him burst open and slammed to the wall. Photos fell with the piercing shatter of glass. A few pairs of boots crunched the broken glass on the floor.

Several metallic clicks announced the presence he was expecting. 

“Mister Austria. You know why we’re here.” 

Austria turned to face them, leaning on his cane. He saw Croatia, menacingly leveling a Mannlicher rifle at him, beside him Serbia stood with a revolver, Montenegro and Bosnia stood to the rear, not aiming their rifles but still menacingly glaring. He didn’t see them, but he figured Banat and Herzegovina were also there, probably grabbing up clothing and other valuables of the nations they didn’t want to leave behind.  
“I expected this.” Austria said in his aristocratic voice. “Although I am surprised you are with them Serbia. I didn’t know you had it in you.” 

Serbia’s face turned red, and he glared at the Austrian. “Me having it in me? I wondered why you hadn’t keeled over yet!” 

Austria yanked the Frommer Automatic from his holster, and leveled it at the nations. “I suppose I’ll have to crack down on all of you once we get this war under control.” For a fleeting moment, Austria saw the engraved slide of the pistol. A set of flowers...he shook the thought from his head. 

Serbia laughed a hearty laugh as the others spread out and took up positions across the end of the room.  
“Punish us? You’re delusional old man! The Kaiser’s forces in France are in full retreat! The Americans just broke through the Hindenburg Line! Your forces are destroyed and retreating or surrendering to the Italians! Your empire is finished Austria! Even Hungary has deserted you!”

“DON’T SAY HER NAME YOU BASTARD!” Austria screamed as he aimed the pistol at Serbia with fiery rage in his eyes. He fumed as Serbia smirked. “You think you’ve won but just wait! The Kaiser will counterattack, my army will push the invaders out! We’ll be the same grand empire we’ve always been! All of you will be severely punished for this insubordination!”  
Slovenia stared in shock, and muttered something under his breath. His eyes darted back and forth between Austria and the other nations. Serbia glanced over at him and nodded; Austria glanced back at the Slovene nation and shouted. “Slovenia! Attend to these scoundrels!” He then turned to glare at Serbia’s smirking face. 

The room was dead silent, just muffled breaths and the creaking of the house.

Then another metallic click sounded in the silence. 

Austria didn’t turn his head, nor break his gaze, he knew where it had come from. 

“Slovenia, why do you betray me like this?”

Slovenia aimed the Gasser 1870 at Austria’s head. He tightened his grip and spoke quietly.

“Why did you betray my people?” 

Austria scoffed, and glanced at Slovenia. “Your people betrayed me, yet I thought you were still loyal!”  
Slovenia’s gaze hardened, he stepped back from Austria, still aiming the revolver at his head. “Loyal? Was that before or after you left me to die aboard the Szent Istvan? Or was it when you watched hundreds of my people die against Russian machine guns and simply told me that it was “acceptable losses”, Or, was it when you forced me to kill my own countrymen who had been “naughty?”  
A few gasps exhaled from the other nations, enraptured by their quiet sibling tearing into the old empire. Even Serbia’s smirk was gone, replaced with a firm glare at Austria. 

Austria said nothing, and Slovenia continued.  
“You pry me away from my people and tell us we’re all part of the empire, but we’re not equals! You told us we’d all be equal, and then you march down the aisle with Hungary and make her people equal, but ignore ours!” A sheen overtook Slovenia’s hazel eyes and a tear trickled down his face. Austria attempted to speak, but he shut up as Slovenia continued, his cheeks wet with tears. “We spilled blood for your empire! At Krakow, in Italy, even against our Hungarian brothers! We died on the fields of Galicia with lungs full of poison gas and we’re still not considered equal! Instead we stood and watched you and the Hungarians be the only ones who benefited from it!”  
The other nations were silent, Croatia had a look of solemn agreement on his face. Even Serbia raised an eyebrow in surprise 

Austria said nothing, but he simply dropped the Frommer, and fell to his knees. Slovenia stepped up and held the Gasser to his forehead. One pull and the Great empire would be dead at last.  
“It’s your choice Slovenia.” Serbia said as he watched the others grab some documents from Austria’s desk. The other nations quickly filtered out to join their comrades in riding south. Serbia stood at the doorway, quietly watching. 

“You used to be so big and powerful...” Slovenia said as he stared at the hopeless nation beneath him. Austria looked up, and remembered those same brown eyes staring up at him as a child, timid and full of wonder. He felt his heart sink as they stared down at him with fury and hatred. Filled with the images of men choking to death in a haze of yellow, of sailors screaming for help as a dark, overturned compartment rapidly filled with water, of a nation scarred by wars fought in his name, and yet still not being considered an equal. Austria’s eyes were wide with the look of realization, and a single tear rolled down his face.

“...”

Slovenia clicked the hammer forwards and with a swift motion, slid the gun into his holster. He stepped past Austria, kicking the Frommer away from him with a clatter of metal.  
“Good work Slovenia, let’s get out of here.” Serbia smirked as Slovenia approached him.  
He followed Serbia to the door, and gazed back at Austria, still staring at the floor.  
“One day you’ll understand why this had to happen Austria. Goodbye.”  
And without another word, he filtered out and left his former master to lay in a ball on the floor of an empty study, inside a massive manor house that was silently falling apart.


	2. Distant Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slovenia rides to Budapest to collect some items from his old home.

Slovenia dismounted the Lipizzaner mare quietly as he stared up at the modest manor house. It was the other major home Austria owned, outside of Budapest. This manor had been the very place Slovenia had grown up at with his siblings and cousins of the Empire. The once ornate exterior was showing the lack of care that had been given to it since 1914. Faded, flaking paint and curling vines were everywhere. A few windows were cracked and covered by wood. The lawn was overgrown and unkept, with weeds and debris strewn through the yard.  
“I’ll be back soon Triglav, just wait here girl.” With a gentle pat on the mare’s neck, Slovenia grabbed his small leather satchel and headed for the front door. He absently noted a small pile of old newspapers lay on the steps. Some were very old from the previous year, but a few were more recent. One even had the headline “BATTLESHIP SINKS AFTER TORPEDO ATTACK: 47 DEAD” Slovenia tried to ignore the rising memories in his mind, especially the screams…  
He quietly let himself into the house, and quickly headed up the stairs.  
The empty halls echoed with his footsteps as he made his way past Mr. Austria’s old study, where a grand piano stood silently, shrouded by a dusty cloth cover. Bare walls and empty spaces where he remembered furniture told him that the home was being abandoned. A shattered portrait of Austria and Hungary lay against the wall. The furniture that remained was covered by cloths and a layer of dust.  
He passed open doors to rooms his cousins and siblings once inhabited, now empty and dusty from disuse. Inside one room, a large dresser and mirror stood vacant and cracked. Slovenia remembered how Vojvodina, Czechia, and Liechtenstein would spend time styling their hair into the latest fashions from Vienna or Budapest. They’d even once managed to coerce him into letting them style his longish hair into a simple braid. "Nonsense Slovenia, you'll still look dashing when we're done!" Vojvodina laughed as she adjusted the ribbon in his long, unkept hair. Beside him, Liechtenstein was working his hair into braids with the skill of a royal hairdresser. Czechia was meanwhile supplying the ribbons to make their cousin look beautiful. It was silly, and Slovenia knew Austria wouldn't really approve, but he didn't care, it was making his cousins happy and that's all that mattered. "Alright then, but just make sure you don't make it too hard to remove, I think Mister Austria would grab shears if you styled it too tight!" The four laughed happily as they continued dressing his hair up.  
He chuckled at the memory, and how it made Austria’s head spin. Hungary just laughed. Inside another room, he saw a long forgotten chess game set up in the room him and his siblings played in. Fun nights of games or reading books.  
Finally, he arrived at the room. He pushed it open and stepped into his past.  
Two beds sat empty in the room, stripped of sheets, and covered with some dust. He stared at the empty walls and the single window in between the beds.   
  
“You mean this is my room?” The small Slovene nation asked.   
“Yes, you and Croatia will be sleeping in here.” Austria said as he pointed to the empty bed. “He is excited to meet you. I hope you two will get along.”  
Slovenia walked over and sat his meager possessions on the bed. Once his things were secured, he moved over to the open window. He stared out the window overlooking the village of Pest and the Danube River. In his head, Slovenia could already see the beautiful sketch he would do of this view.  
“It is a nice view isn’t it?” Austria asked as he stepped up behind Slovenia, “I specifically chose this site for the home because of it.”  
Slovenia grabbed the drawer on a dresser and yanked it open with a cloud of dust. He coughed hard as he started digging through the old clothing.  
Slovenia grabbed a small booklet, tossing it into the satchel. He then grabbed a small photograph, staring at it for a few seconds before it too joined the book. He did the same for a few other things, mostly his few possessions he had from his childhood.   
Once all of this was finished, Slovenia pulled out a blanket from the dresser. Despite its age, it was still bright with color. Red, Blue, and White stripes ran down the carefully quilted blanket, almost identical to his national flag. The nation stared at the blanket as the memory flooded back to him.   
  
“Young one, please come over here.” Madame Margon called from her rocking chair.  
Slovenia, just a tiny child, came over and sat down as she smiled down at him. The elderly woman was a widower, who owned a tiny farm in Laibach. She’d been approached by the local priest about housing Slovenia while they awaited the arrival of an Austrian noble, who would be taking the child into his care. The old woman was kind and happily accepted the offer.   
“I’ve been quilting this for you.” She said as she held up the blanket, its brilliant colors of red, white, and blue enrapturing the tiny Slovene nation’s eyes. He gently took the blanket as she passed it over to him.   
“I wanted you to have something once you go to Wien, something to remind you of the people and the lands you represent.” She said with a smile as Slovenia admired the blanket. Slovenia looked up with bright hazel eyes and moved over to hug the kind older woman.  
“I miss you Miss Margon…” Slovenia muttered quietly. “But you taught me everything about my people…and I live in your memory.” For a second, Slovenia glanced down at his satchel, an old army satchel carried by messengers of the empire. His was adorned with the small nametag “Janez Margon”. Even when she’d passed away, Slovenia never forgot her kindness and wanted the old widow’s name to live on. He folded the blanket and gently set it into his satchel.   
  
“I see you forgot something.”   
Slovenia spun around quickly, his hand reflexively dropping to his jacket side. Hungary stood in the doorway, her face seemed dark and unhappy, as if she’d caught him looting a dead body. Hungary looked like hell. Her hair was a disheveled mess, and her clothing was old and worn, as if she didn’t care anymore. Her red eyes and moistened cheeks told him she’d been crying before coming here.  
“Yes. I wanted to get what I needed.” Slovenia said as he put the blanket into the small trunk he’d brought. “I would’ve called ahead, but I worried I wouldn’t have been able to get in.” Slovenia added as he tossed the satchel onto his shoulder.   
Hungary scoffed, “Well, it would only be because you had to join HIM…” She did not approve of his decision to join Croatia and Serbia. While she herself wanted independence from Austria, seeing those she’d raised join with an enemy as if they hadn’t spent the last four years fighting was too much.  
“I wouldn’t have wanted to leave if I had been given the chance to be equal.” Slovenia said as he grabbed the satchel from the bed. Hungary studied him with a scowl as he walked past her into the hallway.   
“You could’ve been equal within the Federation.” Hungary said as he started down the hallway. Slovenia rolled his eyes as she dragged that argument back out. “Yes, that federation was such a good idea, the one suggesting it was assassinated.” The architect of that brilliant plan, Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated in Sarajevo back in 1914. His death had been the catalyst for the last four years of war, and the death and destruction Slovenia and his siblings had been exposed to. Hungary was floored and stomped after him, scowling.   
“Just wait and see, Serbia will betray you!”   
Slovenia brushed it off and continued for the front door. He was not in any mood to argue with Hungary, especially since once he was done here, he would be riding for Ljubljana and a new beginning. He had to mail a few letters, mainly sending the stuff he’d collected for Czechia and Slovakia, and the tiny  
“You always were nothing but a follower Slovenia! You’ll never amount to anything!” Hungary shouted, exasperated and tired of arguing.  
Slovenia froze in the doorway and turned to look back at the nation that had practically raised him. Hungary was taken aback by Slovenia’s scowling face and his normally kind hazel eyes being filled with hatred and grief.   
“A follower who doesn’t need to be reminded that he gave everything for this empire and still was ignored!” Slovenia said, the words almost jabbing Hungary in the chest. She stood, numbed by his rebuttal, and the tears began rolling down her face. She tried to say something, but Slovenia cut her off. “Don’t act so innocent, you allowed Austria to let us be second class nations! You watched and never did a damn thing.” Hungary seemed even more crushed by that statement, and the fury radiating from those same hazel eyes she used to see staring at her with admiration.   
And with that, the Slovene nation left the crumbling manor, and left his former caretaker to stand alone in the dark house. 

Croatia watched as the white horse came riding up to the remote Serbian farmhouse. This was the temporary home of the nations of the “Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes” as they had no other house to live in. Serbia was inside talking (read: shouting) at someone from his government on a telephone, and Croatia wanted to have some quiet time. He held a cup of coffee in his hands as he watched Slovenia gently hitch his horse and grab the trunk from his horse.  
“Ah, you’ve made it!” Croatia said as Slovenia came up onto the porch. Slovenia opened his bag and held out a small book that Croatia took quite happily.  
“I managed to get the stuff, without any trouble.” Slovenia said as he sat down on a small wicker chair and grabbed the cup of coffee Croatia pointed out to him.  
“Did you see anyone?” Croatia asked as he studied Slovenia’s face, the small Slavic nation seemed disgusted about something. Croatia knew it was not the coffee, so he had to ask.  
“I saw Miss Hungary…she didn’t take our separation that well.” Slovenia said as he stared into the dark liquid of his cup. He took a sip as Croatia studied him for a moment, still unsure of what to make of the nation’s face.  
“It was the right thing Janez,” Croatia said as he patted the nation on his back, “we couldn’t have gotten anywhere with those two ruling over us. Now we’re free to be our own nations!”  
Slovenia perked up a little bit, some of the weight removed from his shoulders, but he found himself still numbed at the sight of the powerful woman who’d basically raised him, a pillar of strength and endurance, so crushed and destroyed like she was. It left him with an aching pit in his chest, filled with sadness and sympathy even for one he almost would have called an enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second Chapter! I'm getting better with dialogue I hope. 
> 
> Wien = the German name for Vienna. 
> 
> Pest = A village along the Danube River in Hungary, this village was united with the village of Buda to found the city of Budapest. 
> 
> Hungary's characterization here is that she's overwhelmed by the events of the 1910s and the collapsing empire, hence why the house is in such disrepair. Hungary is also moving out of it to avoid the memories of the past. 
> 
> Still learning HTML codes so sorry if things look weird, I copy paste from Word to AO3 to have records of my work.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this is my first attempt at a more dark and heavy fic. 
> 
> It was really difficult to write that scene about Liechtenstein getting slapped across the face. She’s literally one of my top 3 characters and she’s basically a cinnamon roll. (I’m so sorry Liech fans, don’t worry, she’ll have a more positive role in the next chapter)
> 
> Szent Istvan was a Tegetoff -Class Battleship built in Fiume in 1915. It is most famous for being the only sinking battleship of WWI filmed. It capsized in 1918 after several Italian torpedoes hit it. Slovenia was one of the engineering crew members, and while he survives due to his nation abilities, he basically had to watch other crew, including some Slovenians, drown. It embitters him towards Austria, who simply stepped off the bridge and into a boat rather than try to help the crew belowdecks. 
> 
> I’ve taken the more dark version of the Austria/Hungary relationship, highlighting the historical issues within the empire and how it wasn’t a happy marriage. However I do imply it’s not all bad, and Austria and Hungary do have some feelings for each other (because let’s face it, it couldn’t possibly be completely horrible) 
> 
> Slovenia is slowly developing into a more unique character from my earlier modification of Tix’s Slovenia. Someday I’ll get a good drawing of Slovenia to showcase some major differences. 
> 
> This will probably be changed a bit as I work on a second chapter, that will focus more on Hungary.


End file.
